Cowley County Heritage Book

Pages

- 291 - 292 - 293 - 294 - 295 -


Cowley County Heritage Book Page 291


(continued from page 290) Cowley County from 1894-1898 and Winfield's postmaster in 1906 and 1911.

George Washington Skinner married Jennie Estelle Wilson, and their children were Eunice, Frank and John W. In 1914 this family moved from the Burden area to Arkansas City.

Abraham Lincoln Skinner married Maria Tredway, Minnie Aletha and Cathleen were their children.

Upon investigation, Dr. John Skinner and I have discovered that his grandfather and my great-grandfather were brothers. We believe that makes us some sort of cousins.

Dr. Skinner's grandfather was George Washington Skinner, his father John W. Skinner, and his mother was Viola Grimes of Arkansas City. In 1946 Dr. Skinner was married to Rosemary Edwards. Upon retirement Dr. Skinner returned to Arkansas City. Currently he serves as adjunct faculty at Southwestern College and as a supply priest for various Episcopal churches in the area.

My grandfather was James Ellis Skinner, son of Courtland J. of Burden. He was married to Carrie B. Maclntosh and their children were Robert M., James E., Roma Skinner Johnson, and my father, Harold (Jack) Skinner.

My parents, Harold (Jack) and Treva Dyer Skinner, were married in 1935. Their children are Robert Calvin of Salina, Jack Edward of Burden, and me, Sharon Skinner Shetlar I was married to Harry L. Shetiar, Jr. in 1962. Our children are Robert E. Shetlar, Aaron K. Shetlar, and Shannon L. Shetlar.

Many people find relatives that they did not know existed. It has been my great pleasure to find that one of mine is Dr. John E. Skinner. He and Rosemary are delightful cousins which it has been my pleasure to get to know.

Submitted by Sharon Shetlar
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George Smalts Family

George Smalts was born Oct. 15, 1880 in Benton County, Arkansas, to Pheobe Anna (Garwood) and William Madison Smalts. They returned to Winfield where Phoebe Anna died a few days after his birth. She was buried in a small cemetery in Silverdale Township. After Pheobe's death, William left George to be raised by his grandmother, Pheabe Anna Garwood, and his aunt, Ida L. Garwood. He went to the New Mexico territory to drive a freight wagon and team. He returned several months later for George but the ladies hid him from William-George learned the horseshoeing trade when he was 16 and became one of the best in the area.

He met his future wife, Clarinda Hall, while she was taking care of Pheobe Anna. Ida Garwood had married Clarinda's uncle, Samuel Hall, so it seemed right that George and Clarinda should be married also. They were married Sept. 8, 1914 in Newkirk, Okla. and continued to live with grandma Garwood until her death.

For a short time, they lived across the draw from the old lime kiln, southwest of Tunnel Mill Dam. In the early 1920's they moved 3 miles south and 2 east of Winfield on the Josh Wallace farm. The flood of 1928 got 3 ft. deep in the house. They lost everything except what they piled on the kitchen table, 100 baby chickens in the loft of the hog shed, and two trail hounds that George put in the hay loft. A daughter, Anna Christine was born to them in Dec. 1931.

In 1934, bad health and depression forced them to look for something better. They moved north of Winfield on the McKnab Ranch where George took care of race horses and Clarinda worked in the main house.

In 1940, they were living on the Wallace place again, which was owned by William (Bill) Reynolds.

In 1944 flood water 3 ft. 3 in. deep was in the house. A kitchen cabinet that survived both muddy floods is stilt in the family and the watermarks are still visible.

Anna married Bill J. Craft, from Cambridge, in May 1952. They had one daughter, Teresa Lee, in March 1957. George died Sept. 24, 1958 and was buried in Highland Cemetery. Clarinda moved to Oxford in 1965 and died in 1979 after a lengthy illness. Cancer claimed Bill Croft in January 1988. He is buried in Tannehill Cemetery, northeast of Gueda Springs.

Submitted by Terry Craft
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Smith & Wallace Family

My grandparents were the children of slaves and lived all their lives in the state of Texas. My parents were born in Texas and lived there until the 1920's when they moved to Oklahoma. They lived in Oklahoma for about ten years.

In the 1930's a neighbor of my parents sent their son to attend Southwestern College in Winfield. When the young man returned to Oklahoma, he had such wonderful things to say about Southwestern, that my mother's sister and brother-inlaw, Collie and John Smith, decided to send their daughter to Winfield to attend college. Within two years, all of the Smith family had moved to Winfield.

My parents, Ben and Lula Wallace, soon followed. They had a daughter who had just finished high school and they thought she might be able to get into Southwestern. However, she chose to remain in Oklahoma to attend Langston University. Ben and Lula had nine other living offsprings. Several of their children, as well as other Smith offsprings and other relatives have since attended or graduated from Southwestern College. Among them were Inez (Smith) Brown, Elverta (Smith) Julian, Wendell Smith, Darlene (Smith) Meeks, Tomi (Cochran) Reynolds, Kevin Cochran, Tom Cochran, Jr. (an in-law), Steve Cochran, W. Gory Greer, Joan (Greer) Baptista, Ronald Greer, and Le Baptista II.

Several members of the Smith-Wallace families still live in Winfield. The young man who activated the Smiths and Wallaces to send their offsprings to Southwestern was Dunbar McLauren. He was an outstanding young black student, and was the youngest student in the college's history to graduate.

I am the daughter who graduated from Langston University. I received my Masters Degree from New York University in 1953. 1 took courses at Brooklyn College and St. Johns University in New York, and received a life certificate in administration. After a teaching career on the east and west coasts, I returned to Winfield last summer after retirement.

Submitted by Vera (Wallace) King
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Brittian Capril & Mary Jane Smith

Brittian and Mary Jane Smith were married in Dent County, Mo. in 1866. He was in the Civil War and came to Kansas in 1875, They lived on an 80 acre farm near Burden, KS.

Mr. Smith built his house from walnut lumber from the farm. He later built a stone house. He had a big apple orchard.

He was a member of Free Methodist Church for 50 years. Mary Jane was a member for 70 years, and came to Winfield, Ks. in 1919. They were married 65 years.

Brittian was born 12-25-1844, died 9-22-1932. Mary was born 1-4-1848, died 12-12-1946. They had 15 children: Joseph T. Smith, Martha M. Simmons, Frances A. Abbott, Ruth A. Pickens, Tyre W. Smith, Phoebe E. Stevens, John M. Smith, Temperance Smith, Celia Emmel, Refus Smith, Mary S. Rowe, Hester A. Fulton, Alonzo S. Smith, Vesta S. Yianakopulos, and Augusta T. Gellispie. They had 54 grandchildren

Submitted by Patsy Sommers
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Clayton Harris Smith

Clayton Harris Smith, the fourth child of Elmer and Maggie (Harris) Smith, was born April 29, 1902 on the family farm in Harvey Township, Cowley County, Kansas. He received his education attending Upper Timber Creek School. Clayton was employed by City Service Oil Company in the Eastman Field, of Cowley County, from 1924 to 1929. He returned to farming in the spring of 1919 to assist his father to pull through some very trying economic times. He rented his first farm in 1934 and purchased his first land in 1938 and owned 640 acres at his death.

Manila Fern DeFore became Clayton's bride on May 23, 1934 at Oil Hill, Kansas. Manila was born December 28, 1906, two miles northwest of Atlanta, Kansas, the second child of three children of John W. and Maude (Bridges) DeFore. She received her education in the Atlanta Schools and attended Pittsburg State College. Manila taught in one room country schools in Cowley County and in the Atlanta grade school prior to her marriage. On January 31, 1936, Manila and Clayton's son, Stanley Clifford, was born at Winfield, Kansas. When Stanley was two-years-old Manila died suddenly on May 17, 1938. Manila was buried in the Mount Vernon Cemetery in Harvey Township.

Clayton's father and his youngest sister, Helen, joined the family to help with the farming and housekeeping after the death of Manila. Helen married in 1941. Elmer continued to make his home with Clayton until his death in 1954.

Clayton married Georgia Murl Burgess May 15, 1951 at Tisdale, Kansas. Georgia was the oldest child of Calvin and (continued on page 292)

Submitted by Stanley C. Smith
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Cowley County Heritage Book Page 292


(continued from page 291) Ethel (Bray) Burgess of Mulvane, Kansas. Georgia graduated from Mulvane High School, attended Emporia State Teachers College, and graduated from Southwestern College in Winfield in 1951. She taught in one room country schools in Cowley County until her marriage. A son, Dwight Clayton, was born to this union on December 11, 1951 at Winfield. Georgia is living presently in Atlanta, Kansas.

A strong supporter of education, Clayton served on the Upper Timber Creek School board for fourteen years. He was elected to the Latham School board and remained on that board until the school was forced to unify with Leon schools. Both of Clayton's sons received college educations at Kansas State University.

Clayton was a Democrat and worked in Harvey Township for his party. He served as Clerk of the Harvey Township board for two terms and several terms on the Upper Timber Creek Cemetery board. Clayton was a long time member of the Latham Masonic Lodge.

Clayton enjoyed his livestock and was always trying to improve his herds. He farmed with horses, totally, until he purchased his first tractor in 1943. He sold his last team in 1955, when drought was limiting grazing for the cattle. Due to his enjoyment of livestock, he was still farming when he died at the farm on September 30, 1974. He is buried at Mount Vernon Cemetery east of Atlanta, Kansas.

Submitted by Stanley C. Smith
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Dwight Clayton Smith

Dwight Clayton Smith, son of Clayton Harris and Georgia Murl (Burgess) Smith, was born in Winfield, Kansas, December 11, 1951. Dwight grew up on his father's farm seven miles northeast of Atlanta, Kansas. He attended all eight years of grade school at Latham; attended his first year of high school at Atlanta and the last three years at Central High of Burden where he graduated in 1969. Dwight attended Kansas State University, receiving a B.S. degree in Arts and Sciences in 1973 and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1975. Dwight married Marilyn Jane McReynolds at Gridley, Kansas on June 15, 1975. Marilyn has a degree from Kansas State University in Home Economics Education, and is the daughter of Maurice and Frances McReynolds of Burlington, Kansas, born December 8, 1952 at Emporia, Kansas. They are the parents of one son, Matthew Clayton Smith, born July 14, 1983 at Wichita, Kansas, and one daughter, Bethany Erin Smith, born December 24, 1985 at Wichita, Kansas.

After receiving his DVM, Dwight worked at the ElDorado Animal Clinic at ElDorado, Kansas 1975-1978; Animal Care Center in Fort Scott, Kansas 1978-1979; then opened his own clinic, Douglass Animal Clinic in Douglass, Kansas in 1980 where he presently serves the area with a mixed practice. Dwight is a member of the Douglass Chamber of Commerce Wichita Veterinary Medical Association; Kansas Veterinarian Medical Association; American Veterinary Medical Association; and Society of Phi Zeta; and also currently serves on the Exchange State Bank Board of Directors in Douglass, Kansas.

Submitted by Dwight C. Smith
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Elmer Thomas Smith

Elmer Thomas Smith was born in Indiana on February 12, 1872. He was the seventh of eight children of Thomas Henry and Elizabeth Jane "Betsy" (Terrell) Smith. Thomas' parents were Thomas and Perthena (Hughell) Smith and he was born in Franklin County, Indiana August 30, 1834. Betsy was born in Rush County, Indiana October 30, 1831 to Isaac and Charlotte (Springer) Terrell. Thomas H. and Betsy were married October 7, 1857 in Rush County. Elmer attended grade school in Jackson Township, Madison County, Indiana and Upper Timber Creek School in Harvey Township, Cowley County, Kansas, Thomas H. died when Elmer was six-years-old. Betsy moved her family to Cowley County in 1886, She purchased 80 acres of "school land" in Section 16 of Harvey Township next to her brother-in-law, James F. Smith, six miles east of Atlanta, Kansas, upon their arrival.

Margaret Elizabeth "Maggie"Harris became Elmer's bride at Winfield August 16, 1894. She was born at Paola, Kansas June 3, 1875, the youngest surviving child of William and Mary M. (Hill) McDaniel Harris. William took a homestead in Harvey Township in 1881 which was only one mile from his oldest son's homestead. Maggie received her education at Upper Timber Creek School. Maggie died May 31, 1932 at Winfield and is buried in Mount Vernon Cemetery east of Atlanta.

Elmer and Maggie were parents of eleven children: Edith Marilla born March 1, 1895; Althea Pearl born January 18, 1887; Merle Cecil born February 2, 1899; Earnest W. born July 25, 1900 died April 12, 1901; Ray Harold born September 3, 1907; Chester Sidney born February 10, 19 10; Donald Francis born May 9, 1912; Margaret Evelen born April 18, 1914; and Helen Louise born April 16, 1916. All of the children attended Upper Timber Creek School and Edith, Althea, Chester, Donald, Margaret and Helen attended Latham High School. Edith, Clayton, Ray and Roy were lifelong residents of Cowley County.

Elmer and Maggie started their married life on the old Harris homestead. It was owned by a half-brother of Maggie's, Nicholas G. Harris, at that time but they soon purchased the farm. They were able to add 400 acres to the original 160 acre homestead which Elmer sold in 1937 and moved to Wichita. The house and barn built by Elmer, on this farm, was destroyed by a tornado in October, 1980. The farm is presently owned by Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Whitehib.

Elmer found time, from his farming, to serve his community as a member of the Upper Timber Creek School board for 25 years. He was a member of Latham Methodist Church.

Elmer returned to the Upper Timber Creek community when his son Clayton lost his wife in 1938. He made his home with Clayton until his death May 5, 1954 and is buried beside his wife, Maggie, in the Mount Vernon Cemetery in Harvey Township.

Submitted by Stanley C. Smith
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Georgia Murl (Burgess) Smith

Georgia Murl Burgess was born to Calvin Orville and Ethel (Floss) Burgess on May 21, 1909, near Waunetta, Kansas. In December, 1910, she moved with her parents by horse and wagon to a farm known as the Bitter Creek Stage Ranch, southeast of Mulvane, Kansas. She attended all eight years of grade school at Central Grade School near Mulvane, and graduated from Mulvane High School in 1928. Georgia attended Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia, Kansas in 19281929 to obtain a teacher's certificate, then began a long, twenty-two year teaching career in one-room country schools, with eighteen of those years being in Cowley County. She continued attending college during summer school and eventually earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas in 1951.

The first school Georgia taught was the Mt. Pleasant School District near Mulvane, from 1929-1933. Her beginning salary was $90.00 per month, and later increased to $100,00 per month. However, due to the Depression, the district could not continue to pay this "high" salary, so Georgia moved on to the Star Valley District near Udall, Kansas, where she roomed with the Earl Morton family. She taught at Star Valley from 1933-1941, them moved to the Mt. Vernon District southeast of Atlanta, Kansas. She taught at Mt. Vernon from 1941-1947, and roomed with the Ralph Davis and Harlan Gates families while there. In 1947, Georgia was approached by one of the board members of the Timbercreek School District, Clayton Smith, about coming to Timbercreek to teach. She accepted the job and taught at Timbercreek, northeast of Atlanta, from 1947-1951, while rooming with the Chalmer Haworth and I.B. Riding families. Georgia retired from full-time teaching in 1951 when she married Clayton Harris Smith. She later spent a number of years as a substitute teacher in schools in Atlanta, Latham, Burden, and Cambridge, Kansas, a somewhat different experience, in that she then taught only one or two grades at a time after spending twenty-two years teaching all eight grades in country schools.

After their marriage, Georgia and Clayton Smith lived on his farm seven miles northeast of Atlanta, Kansas, until his death in 1974. They had one son, Dwight Clayton Smith, born December 11, 1951, at Winfield, Kansas. Clayton also had a son, Stanley Clifford Smith, from a previous marriage, Georgia now resides in Atlanta, Kansas.

Submitted by Dwight C. Smith
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Patricia (Eastman) Smith

My great, great grandparents, Leburtis Darwin and Harriett Corbin Eastman came to Cowley County in 1876. They came from Iowa to a claim in the Walnut Valley area south of Winfield, later moving to a farm on Posy Creek- They wrote back to Iowa telling their sons and their wives what a wonderful place Cowley County was.

In 1877, my great grandparents Charles Henry and Nancy Jane Lepley Eastman came from Iowa to the Tisdale Community. There my grandfather, Henry Arthur, was born in March 1882. In 1898. they purchased 1000 acres east of Wilmot, Kansas.

About 1900 Belle Bowen of Spivey, Kansas came to stay with her sister, Maggie Bowen Eastman and attend Queen Village school east of Wilmot. When she was nineteen she married Henry Arthur Eastman and they made their home on a farm east of Wilmot. In 191 1, my dad, Leo was born. He attended Cowley County schools and at the age of seventeen he went to work for the Frisco Railroad at twenty-eight cents an hour. In 1933, he married Thelma Floyd, the daughter of John M. and Mary Chance Floyd. She was born in Wellington but at the age of four, her parents moved to a farm east of Rock, Kansas. She attended grade and high school in Cowley County.

My parents lived at Wilmot for several years and had five children. They were: Patricia, Jack, Peggy, Ronald, and Donald. All were born and live in Cowley County. I attended first (continued on page 293)

Submitted by Patricia (Eastman) Smith
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Cowley County Heritage Book Page 293


(continued from page 292) grade in a one room school at Wilmot, then we moved to Oklahoma, as the Railroad sent my Dad to different towns to work. We returned to Winfield when I was in the sixth grade and I finished grade and high school here.

I married Jessie Smith, June 1, 1952. He was working in Wichita. He worked for Aircraft in several states and the ship yards in California. So for several years we lived in Missouri, Texas, Colorado, and California. We moved to Oklahoma City in 1959 and Jessie worked for F.A.A. We had two children: Diann was born in 1955 and David in 1959. Both were born in Winfield. They always came to Winfield for summer vacations with their grandparents. And both loved the town and told us they wanted to live there when they grew up. They met and married in Winfield.

Diann married Jim Miller from Dexter and they have two boys: Robert and Jason. Diann is a C. M.A. and Jim works for General Electric.

David married Suzann McCollum from Winfield and they have two girls: Jennifer and Jessica. David works for General Electric and Suzann enjoys being a housewife and mother.

When Jessie retired from F.A.A,, we moved back to Winfield. I work for Food Service at Winfield High School and Jessie enjoys gardening, fishing and the grandchildren. And all are happy to call Cowley County home.

Submitted by Patricia (Eastman) Smith
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Stanley Clifford Smith

Stanley Clifford Smith, son of Clayton Harris and Manila Fern (DeFore) Smith, was born in Winfield, Kansas January 31, 1936. He attended Upper Timber Creek School eight years; graduated from Latham High School in 1954; and from Kansas State University in 1958 with a B.S. in agriculture. Stanley served two years in the U.S. Army in the 2nd Armored Division and the 2nd Missile Command. While in service, he married his college sweetheart, Patricia Ann Douglass, January 30, 1960 at Mullinvilte, Kansas. Patricia, the daughter of Weldon J. and Nellie W. (Pollock) Douglass, was born November 28, 1938 on the Horsehead Ranch south of Mutlinville. Patricia has a degree in Home Economics and Teaching from Kansas State University.

They are the parents of Stanbara Dawn, born July 28, 1961 at Evansville, Indiana; Stanton Weldon, born July 21, 1962 at Nogales, Arizona; and Grant Douglass born July 21, 1967 at Wayne, Nebraska. Stanbara married Lee Garey November 24, 1984 and lives in Wichita, Kansas. They are the parents of one daughter, Annaleah, born March 30, 1989. Stanton married Cheryl Pettes October 28, 1989 and lives in Littleton, Colorado. All three children have graduated from Kansas State University. Grant is a graduate student at Washington State University.

Stanley was employed as livestock superintendent at the Reynolds Metals Farms at Hebbardsville, Kentucky, 1960-6 1, and as pasture foreman at the Thurber Hereford Ranch at Sonoita, Arizona, 1961-63. He joined Farmers National Company of Omaha, Nebraska as a professional farm manager in 1964, and ran the territory offices at Wayne and McCook, Nebraska for seven years until 1971. He has been employed since 1971 by First National Bank of Hutchinson, Kansas as professional farm manager and officer of the bank. Stanley is an Assistant Vice-President in charge of the bank's Garden City, Kansas satellite farm management office. He is an Accredited Farm Manager and member of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.

Stanley is past president of the Kansas Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and is vice-president of the Kansas Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He is a licensed Kansas Real Estate Broker. Stanley has served as Chairman of the Trustees for the First United Methodist Church, Vice-Chciirman of the Santa Fe Chapter of the American Red Cross, Treasurer of the Finney County Historical Society and President of the Finney County Genealogical Society.

Stanley and Patricia have published several books including The History of Upper Timber Creek School, a 210 page book, completed for the 100th year of the school in 1979.

Submitted by Stanley C. Smith
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James & Lucy Snell

James Snell and Lucy Gresse were married on December 31, 1910 in Rennsalear, Indiana. They farmed in several locations in Indiana until 1919 when, with their six children- Walter, James (Jack), Jesse (Dick), Kenneth, Bonnie, and Mildred, they moved to rural Winfield, Kansas. James and Walter, the oldest son, rode on a boxcar loaded with their household goods, farm equipment, wagon, team of horses, and dog while Lucy and the other children rode by passenger train. Arriving in Winfield at about the same time. They unloaded the boxcar and moved to their farm one and one-fourth miles west of what is presently the Country Club. Three more children were born after their move; they were twins Harriet and Harry, and Hetty May.

James passed away in January of 1923. Lucy remained on the farm until 1926 when she moved to Winfield. Lucy helped support herself and the younger children by doing laundry in her home. Walter, James (Jack), and Harry married and lived locally, raising their families in Winfield. Jesse (Dick) married, lived in Winfield for a few years, but moved to Lyons and raised his family there. Mildred married and moved to northwestern Kansas, while Harriet married and lived in Udctll until she and her husband, George Young, moved to Winfield. Kenneth married and currently lives in Burk Burnett, Texas. Bonnie passed away in 1931 at the age of twenty, while Hetty May, a student at Winfield High School, drowned at the McCollum ford in the Walnut River southeast of Winfield. Lucy remarried in 1944 to Newton Wycoff, and remained in Winfield until she passed away in 1961.

Submitted by Karen Snell
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James (Jack) & Vera Snell

James (Jack) and Vera Keeler were married September 8, 1926 at Winfield. They lived their married lives in Winfield with the exception of two years at Cambridge where Jack managed the Phillips Elevator and fed cattle being moved by rail.

Jack was born February 10, 1904 in Indiana, the son of James and Lucy (Cresse) Snell, and came to Winfield at the age of sixteen. He worked as an auto mechanic, and at Phillips Feed Mill. He began a career in carpentry in 1941 and continued this occupation until retiring in 1980. He continued to build cabinets and furniture. He fulfilled his dream of building their home in 1963. He was a longtime member of Carpenter's Union Loal No. 201 of Wichita, He died quite unexpectedly in April 1986, just prior to celebrating his sixtieth wedding anniversary.

Vera was born in Illinois to Ora A. and Bertha Keeler, The family moved to Newkirk, Oklahoma and then to Cowley County, when Vera was a toddler. Vera graduated from Winfield High School in 1925 and taught in rural Cowley County prior to her marriage. She has been an active member of the Church of Christ, Class of 1925 Alumni, an Extension Unit, and William Newton Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. Vera is known for her handiwork and has given many crocheted and knitted afghans to the hospital auxiliary as fund raising items. She worked as a clerk and seamstress in several Winfield stores, retiring from Kerr's.

They raised two daughters, Claudine (Mrs Kenneth) Halbert and Jacqueline (Mrs Bernard Bennie) Pickins. Both daughters live in Winfield. There are five Grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.

Claudine Halbert
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Walter & Margaret Snell

Walter Snell and Margaret Drauden were married in April, 1927. They have lived in Winfield most of their married lives, raising their five children, all born in Winfield: Alfred, 1930; Virgil, 1931 ' Janet, 1933; Wendell, 1936; Karen, 1946. The children attended local schools, all graduating from Winfield High School. The family attended Holy Name Church, Margaret, Walter, and Karen, the only child still living in the county, remain members of Holy Name Parish.

Walter came to Kansas from Indiana at the age of seventeen, while Margaret was born in Cowley County and attended Fairview School west of the Winfield Country Club. Walter worked as a carpenter, an oil field worker, in construction, and worked for Smith-Moon Steel Company from 1953 until his retirement in 1967.

Margaret has been active as a housewife as well as a Cub Scout Den Mother, Girl Scout leader, a member of St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary, Holy Name Alter Society, and Holy Name Sewing Circle.

Margaret and Walter celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary in April of 1987, with their many friends and relatives attending an open house hosted by their children, twenty Grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren. Four more great-grandchildren have joined their family to date.

Alfred enlisted in the Navy in 1948. He graduated from United States Naval Postgraduate School with a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Science. He retired from the Navy with the rank of Commander in 1978, and currently lives with his wife in Rose Hill, Kansas. He is Software Manager at NCR in Wichita.

Virgil attended Kansas State College at Manhattan. He married Jane Devore, a native of Cowley County. Following his graduation with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, he was a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force for two years. He then moved with his wife and children to Overland Park, Kansas to start an engineering career with Black and Veatch Engineering. In 1981 he became a partner of Black and Veatch. He was inducted into the Engineering Hall of Fame at Kansas State University in 1989.

Janet graduated from St. Joseph's School of Nursing in 1954. She married Henry Hoheisei and had six children. She has continued to work at St, Joseph Medical Center, Wichita, and obtained her Bachelor's degree from the College of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois in 1980.

Wendell erdisted in the Navy in 1954, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1960. Ending his naval career in 1970, he attained his Master's degree from the University of New Haven, He is currently Manager of Construction and Projects for Pfizer, Inc. He and his family live in Gales Ferry, Connecticut.

Karen also graduated from Winfield High School and is unmarried. She has attended Cowley County Community College and is currently employed as a Mental Retardation Specicilist at Winfield State Hospital and Training Center.

From Karen Snell
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Amos & Sally Snowhill Family

Amos was born in Fayetteville, Ohio in 1853 and went to Shelbyville, Illinois and attended Sally Wilson's farewell party in an ice cream parlor in Shelbyville before she left for Kansas (continued on page 294)

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Cowley County Heritage Book Page 294


(continued from page 293) in September of 1881 when she came out to Winfield to live and Amos came, too.

In September of 1881, Sally Wilson's friends were throwing a farewell party for her in an ice cream parlor in Shelbyville, Illinois, where her parents Thomas R. and Mary (Kerisa) Wilson, were preparing to leave her father's livery stable establishment and come to Winfield, Kansas. At the party was Solly's future husband, Amos Snowhill. Sally's family came to Winfield to a farm north of town and Amos came, too.

Amos rode shotgun for the Adams Express Company and Sally was a clerk for the same business, and they were married in 1886 according to the Hotel Bretun Note paper heading. Amos worked also for the railroad buying property, and as a drummer-salesman for the Baden MUI. As time went on and the family of three sons and one daughter, Grace, (who died as a child) lived at 1203 E. 8th. Sally and the three sons, Alvin Amos, Thomas Benjamin, and Justin Porter Snowhill ran the grocery store at Davis and II th. The store sold groceries for about two years before Amos came off of the road.

The oldest son, Alvin married and moved away to Lawton, Oklahoma and the other two sons Thomas and Justin went away to war in the World War I fracas. Both returned and Tom went to Oregon and Justin went to Wichita to work for the Veterans Administration.

Justin continued to look after his mother, Sally, who had moved with her husband, Amos, out to the acreage west of town on Highway 160 which came to be known as the Snowhill Corner, Just beyond the present Sale Barn. Amos died in 1927 and Sally lived there until 1946.

Justin continued to own the house and retired there, as his parents had in 1916, since his wife had died in 1952, he married again and moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas. And his daughter Dorothy and husband Joe Speer made plans to retire there next, when the over 100 year house could be made modern.

The property continues in the family and who knows whether the next generation, Joseph Andrew Speer, Jr., and his wife Robin will come back from Oregon with their two sons, Peter Malcom and Daniel Paul, to live on in the old house, or whether progress will catch up with the corner and become a business establishment. If Joe, Jr. should not decide to retire here, waiting in the wings are the children of Bobbie Lee Newman and Shirley Anne Snowhili, Dorothy's sister. The children Darrel, Susane and Terry are also the nephew and nieces of Bill and Yvonne Newman, of Winfield.

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Cecil Dawson Snyder, M.D.

Dr. Cecil Snyder was born in Winfield, Kansas on March 3, 1905, the second son of Dr. H. L. and Glenoril Dawson Snyder. He attended the Winfield public school system and graduated from Winfield High School in 1923 as an honor student and was president of the student body. Dr. Snyder was also a gifted athlete and served as captain of the Winfield High School Basketball Team his senior year. He attended the University of Kansas, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and received a bachelor degree from Southwestern College in 1926 before attending Jefferson Medical College in Phfladelphia.

Dr. Snyder graduated from Jefferson in 1929 and was elected to membership in the honorary medical society, Alpha Omega Alpha. He served a residency at the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia from 1929 to 193 1 and entered practice in Winfield with his father Dr. Howard Lincoln Snyder and Dr. Harold H. Jones. Following the death of his father in 1940, Dr. Cecil became the president of the Snyder Clinic. He also served as the president of the Snyder Clinic Association in 1960 until his unfortunate death on October 19, 1966.

In 1944-45 Dr. Cecil and his older brother Dr. Howard Errol Snyder established a research center in memory of their father, The H.L. Snyder Memorial Research Foundation, to research cancer and arteriosclerosis. Dr. Cecil served as the president of the Foundation from its inception until death. Under his leadership the Foundation accumulated assets exceeding one million dollars. As of the date of this writing, the Foundation's endowment has grown to over two and a half million dollars in assets which provide a perpetual funding for its cancer research.

In addition to his aforementioned accomplishments, Dr. Cecil contributed to his vocation and community by serving in the following capacities: member, Board of Regents of Wichita State University; President, Medical Staff of William Newton Memorial Hospital; Treasurer, Western Surgical Association; Fellow, American College of Surgeons and Southwestern Surgical Congress; Diplomat, American Board of Surgery; Member, Cowley County and Kansas State Medical Societies.

Dr. Cecil's other passion was hunting game birds, as he was an excellent marksman. Ironically, Dr. Cecil passed away in a field in South Dakota where he and his wife, Louise Griffith Snyder, and a large party of friends were hunting pheasant. He also enjoyed fishing and playing golf and was club champion at the Winfield Country Club many times over.

While researching various articles of my grandfather's life, I came across the following tributes made soon after his death. My efforts to convey his love for his vocation and the community of Winfield would be hallow without their inclusion. The first tribute was paid to Dr Cecil by Chandler Jarvis: "He was a skilled surgeon with a capacity for work exceeded by few, if any, in the field of medicine and surgery. His unfailing tolerance, understanding, sympathy, personal interest and love for his family, friends, associates and patients endeared him to ad who came in contact with him. This loss at the height of his professional career is great and the grief is shared by all who knew him,"

Rev. Forrest J. Robinson of Winfield blessed him with a poem entitled:

A TRIBUTE TO DR. CECIL

With shaggy brow and twinkling eye,
With skillful hand he'd ever try
To make for others a better life
When broken in health or caught in strife,

With burdens defeating to lesser men,
He'd serve again/and then again;
Not for wealth or fame to gain,
But suffering himself for others pain.

A weakened heart? It was indeed
Because it reached to all in need!
All over now? No, it's revealed
His deed lives on in thousands healed.

I salute him not as saint or king,
His example! That's the humbling thing!
For of himself he always gave
Beyond reserve, others to save!

Dr. Cecil is still survived today by his widow, Louise Griffith Snyder. She now resides in Altos, California; two sons, James Dawson Snyder of Houston, Texas and Dr. Cecil John Snyder also of Altos; by one daughter, Jean Snyder Garschagen, currently residing in Hong Kong; three grandsons, four granddaughters and two great-grandsons.

Shades of Dr. Cecil's natural golf swing can be seen on the Winfield C.C. course when James Snyder makes one of his frequent visits back to his roots in Winfield. He earned a bachelor and masters degree in geology from the University of Kansas, the latter in 1960. James has resided in Houston since 1965 and been actively engaged in the oil business his entire professional career. James has served as a director to the Snyder Research foundation for ID years. He has two children, Susan Snyder Forrester and John Walker Snyder.

Dr. C. John Snyder received his Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford University in 1959 and was granted the degree of doctor of medicine from Harvard Medical School. Dr. John's medical training included a year of pathology study at Vienna, Austria. He served two years as a flight surgeon with the U.S.Air Force before his residency in San Francisco. From July of 1972 until the summer of 1983, Dr. John practiced general, thoracic and vascular surgery with the Snyder Clinic Association. Dr. John spent a year working for the American College Board of Surgeons in Chicago before resuming his practice in Santa Cruz, CA. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. John enjoys bird hunting and fly fishing. He has three children; Hannalora, Heide and Carl.

Submitted by John Walker Snyder
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 294.

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Cowley County Heritage Book Page 295


David Snyder Family

*David Snyder, a native of Ohio, has for many years been intimately connected with the farming interests of Woodford County Illinois, more especially of Roanoke Township. He owns a large, well ordered farm in this township.

Our subject was born Dec. 20, 1820, ten miles northeast of the town of Chillicothe, in Ross County, Ohio. His father, John Snyder, is supposed to have been born in Westmoreland County, Pa., and was there reared and married, Elizabeth Campf, a native of that State, becoming his wife. Soon after their marriage they emigrated to Ohio, and were pioneers of Ross County, erected a log house, which was the birthplace of our subject. John Snyder cleared a farm from the primeval forests and was a resident there till death claimed him, as was also his wife; both died on the old homestead. To those worthy people were born twelve children: eleven of whom grew to maturity; Catherine, Margaret, Elizabeth, Anthony, Mathias, Barbara, Christiana, John, David, Conrad, and Henry. Sara died in infancy.

David Snyder started out in life at age twenty-one, finding employment by the day or month. In 1848 he engaged in driving cattle from Ohio across the mountains to Philadelphia and New York, receiving as compensation a dollar a day and board for himself and horse. In the fall of 1850 he came to Illinois, having been employed by one of his neighbors to drive a team from Ohio to Bloomington. He spent that winter in McLean County, working at chopping wood and cutting down trees, and in the spring of 1851 came to Woodford County, and in the month of March made his first purchase of land, comprising the northwestern part of section 6, Roanoke Township, for which he paid $2.50 an acre, though he did not settle on it till 1853. He resided on it till 1883, and had, besides developing it into a fine farm, bought 320 acres more land adjoining it. In 1883 he rented a part of his farm, and moving to Greene Township, he bought 240 acres of good farming land there. Five years later he sold that place and returned to his Roanoke farm, and has ever since resided here.

Mr. Snyder and Miss Mary Whittaker were united in marriage March 29, 187 1, and to them have been born six children: John Downey, David Louis, Howard Lincoln, Thomas Bertrand, Anthony Keenen; a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, died at the age of about nine years. Mrs. Snyder was born in Green County, Pa., a daughter of John and Rebecca (Hammers) Whittaker, natives of Pennsylvania.

The life of our subject shows him to be a man of industrious habits, whose energetic, pushing disposition, combined with excellent judgment and prudent thrift, have placed him among the most substantial of the well-to-do-farmers of Roanoke Township. He is a man of strict morals and upright principles, true to his religious beliefs as a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His amiable wife also belongs to that church.

*The above portion of this biography of David Snyder was copied from an old Woodford County, Illinois history book. Although he resided in Cowley County for only a brief period (David settled with his five sons and wife on a farm just east of Winfield in 1894), the impact that his descendants had within the county prompted the submission of this article. David passed away in Roanoke, on April 22, 1895, upon returning from a cattle drive to the northeast. His primary motive for bringing his family to the Winfield area was to insure that his sons would have the opportunity to pursue a college education at Southwestern. David's wife, Mary Elizabeth Snyder, died in Winfield on January 30, 1911.

Submitted by John W Snyder
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 295.

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Howard Errol Snyder, M.D.

Dr. Howard Snyder was born in Winfield, Kansas on March 15, 1903, the first son of Dr. H.L. and Glenoril Dawson Snyder. Dr. Howard attended the Winfield public school system and graduated from Winfield High School in 1920 as an honor student. After graduation, Dr. Howard attended Southwestern College and graduated from the University of Kansas (The Fighting Jayhawks) in 1923.

Dr. Snyder received his M,D. degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1927 and studied internal medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital (the oldest hospital in the country). He then served as a surgical apprentice in Winfield under his father. Dr. Snyder was a surgeon at Snyder Clinic in Winfield from 1929 until shortly before his death on December 4, 1985. Also during those same years he was a staff member at William Newton Memorial Hospital. From 1929 until 1960 he was also on the staff at St. Mary's Hospital in Winfield.

Dr, Snyder served as president of the Kansas Division of the American Cancer Society and had also been a director of the American Cancer Society. He served on committees for the Kansas Medical Society and the American College of Surgeons. He served for many years as a consultant in surgery for the Surgeon General of the Department of the Army. At the last meeting of the Excelsior Society, its members, all surgeons stationed in the Mediterranean during World War II, claimed that Dr. Snyder was the surgeon who knew the most about the wounded soldier during the war. As a U.S. Army Colonel, Dr. Snyder served in the war from 1941 until 1945 where he operated in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. His honors included the Europe and North Africa ribbon with Bronze Arrowhead and seven Battle Stars, the Legion of Merit and the Cross of Military Valor. Dr. Snyder continued to be a consultant for the reserves until 1971.

On October 14, 1929, Dr. Snyder married Janet Elizabeth Jarvis. He later married Mary Essex in 1961 who preceded him in death in May 1978. Dr. Snyder married Roberta Clark on December 10, 1978 who resided in their home off of Badger Creek just east of Winfield.

Upon returning from the war, Dr. Snyder worked with his younger brother, Dr. Cecil D. Snyder, in establishing a research center in memory of their father, the H.L. Snyder Memorial Research Foundation, to research cancer and arteriosc,lerosis. Dr. Snyder retired from his practice in 1981 at the age of 78.

In addition to his wife, Roberta, Dr. Snyder is survived at the time of this writing by his two sons, Dr. Howard Martin Snyder and Edward Jarvis Snyder; one sister, Marjorie McDermott; four grandchildren, H. Errol Snyder II, Dr. Lincoln M. Snyder, Caroline M. Snyder and Marjorie N. Snyder; a grandson, E. Jarvis Snyder II, preceded him in death, and two great-grandsons, Dr. Lincoln M. Snyder, the son of Dr. Howard Martin Snyder became a fourth generation graduate of Jefferson Medical School in the spring of 1984. Dr. Lincoln and Dr. H. Martin both practice general surgery in different parts of California.

Dr. Howard was an avid qual and duck hunter and was never without a good bird dog or two. In addition to hunting, Dr. Howard was a daily lap swimmer in his indoor pool which was the secret to his longevity.

Submitted by John W Snyder
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 295.

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Howard Lincoln Snyder, M.D.

Dr. H.L. Snyder was born on October 10, 1878 in Eureka, Illinois, the third son of David and Mary Snyder. Dr. H.L. Snyder grew up on his father's farm in Woodford County, Illinois, was educated in county district schools, attended high school at Washburn before attending Southwestern College for one year before entering Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. The death of Dr. Snyder's younger sister, Mary Elis(ibeth, at the age of nine years, planted the seed that motivated him to study to become a doctor. Apparently, Mary Elisabeth could have survived her illness had their family had access to medical supervision. Dr. H.L, Snyder graduated from Jefferson in 1904 and returned to Winfield to begin his practice. Dr. H.L. Snyder initially teamed up with Dr. C.M. Holcomb and then joined with Dr. L.A. Jacobus. Shortly before WW I, Dr. H.L. Snyder became partners with Dr. Harold H. Jones while holding office in the First National Bank Building. At the time of his death (August 16, 1940), Dr. H.L. Snyder's partnership with Dr. Jones grew to include seven physicians and surgeons. Two of whom were Dr. H.L. Snyder's sons, Howard E. and Cecil D.

Prior to earning his doctor of medicine degree, Dr. H.L. Snyder married Glenoril E. Dawson, daughter of a Winfield pioneer family. Their marriage occurred in Guthrie, Oklahoma on June 3, 1902. To them the following six children were born: Howard E., Cecil D., Mrs. John (Catherine) Brand, Robert, Dorothy, and Mrs. Charles (Marjorie) McDermott. At the time of this writing, Marjorie is the only living direct descendant of Dr. H.L. Snyder and heads up the Dr. H.L. and Glenoril Snyder Family Reunion, held every three years.

Dr. H, L. Snyder's contributions to science and the Winfield community were unsurpassed. Dr. H.L. Snyder's medical and surgical skills were widely recognized as he served thousands (continued on page 295)

Submitted by John Walker Snyder
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 295.

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EMAIL Cowley County Coordinator
Karen Rodenbaugh ....Arkansas City, KS

Email corrections and submissions to Steve.


State Coordinators
Tom & Carolyn Ward, Columbus, KS
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